cherrypatter nyc
and great ideas for what to do too!
tia pol: tiny nuggets of spanish wonder
i haven’t had the best of luck with spanish food. j and i have been to barcelona and madrid (5 months pregnant so that may have had something to do with it) and both times we never really found that nirvana in tapas eating. we kept trying out different spots, trying to pick what looked like the locals favorites though we often went way too early as we could never seem to adjust to that post 10 or 11 p.m. eating time. but each time, whether recommended (and we did have terrible luck with the time out guides) or not we struck out. so every tortilla español just seemed dreary and dull, the meats were fine but nothing to rave about and the veggies often too greasy to make into much of a meal.
i have been hoping to break my bad run on tapas, and given the rave reviews i have been wanting to go to tia pol since it opened back in 2004 but i just never wanted to brave the crowds. finally, a friend and i were free one of those lazy august nights and so we made our way there and only had to wait 40 minutes since the rest of manhattan was vacationing somewhere. and yes, i am happy to report i have now had one of the best tapas meals of my life. not everything was spectacular but there were enough fabulous treats to keep coming back.
first off, i am incredibly addicted to tia pol’s blistered peppers with sea salt. coated with some delicious olive oil, they were spicy and chewy, each one a little bit different, and so fresh. the cheesy croquetas were also fantastic. hot, light, liquidy cheese and if we hadn’t gotten these at the end of our meal i am sure i would have insisted on a second order. i also loved the lamb skewers which were juicy, pink and tender. less successful dishes at tia pol included the piquillos rellenos de ensaladilla rusa (sweet peppers filled with potato salad and topped with white tuna) and the pork loin sandwich, which while good just seemed a little pedestrian. i felt like i was filling up on not the best stuff.
and i know i never talk about wine, mostly because i feel like i don’t know anything about it and while i know what i like (usually a pinot noir kind of red but i’m flexible) and really what i don’t like (most white wines unless they are really cold and really really good). tia pol has a pretty extensive list so i am sure someone more expert could evaluate that much better than i could. we ended up getting the penedes pinord la nansa 2008 which went for $35. recommended by our friendly, and pretty attentive server (well maybe too much after he saw my camera at the end of the meal), it was very tasty and went well with all the tapas.
although there are egg dishes on tia pol’s menu, i just couldn’t bring myself to try one and see if maybe i could understand what i’m missing there. i do need to visit tia pol again soon though as there are so many other tempting things on the menu. i could make a whole meal out of the the patatas bravas, the fried chickpeas, the chorizo with bittersweet chocolate, the fava beans and the razor clams. it’s a little cozy in there, so i’d recommend keeping the party to no more than 4 and 2 is ideal. tia pol, 205 10th avenue between 22nd and 23rd streets, manhattan, new york, .
9 Comments »
Yum, croquetas! I remember eating so many as a kid. They were of the chicken variety. I should figure out a vegetarian version. To me, croquetas are Spain’s answer to Italy’s suppli, and both are fried awesomeness.
yep, they are pretty darn amazing. i think that tia pol did have a veggy option that night. there is no reason they have to have ham in there!
La — We need to go back there!
eg
does anyone know what kind of peppers they use to make the blistered ones? i too am TOTALLY addicted to them but never asked…..
sorry, i have no good ideas for you. but they are tasty. just had similar ones at the vanderbilt. not as good but helpful to have them nearby.
They use shiso peppers at Tia Pol. The correct pepper that is used in Spain is called ” pimientos de Padron” . Eckerton Farms sells them at the Union Sq. Market in late summer-early fall.
thanks so much for the feedback! i know nothing about these delicious things.
Croquetas are filled with bechamel, not cheese – that’s why they seemed liquidy. I agree they are totally addictive, though I don’t know if I could eat that much milk and flour without some protein in there (i.e., ham).
http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/croquetas-de-jamon/
Next time you’re there, see if they have any reds from the Ribera del Duero. It’s great stuff!
thanks for all the info, and correcting me! i definitely didn’t know that about the cheese vs. the bechamel but it makes sense. will have to try out the reds your suggesting too.